Refrigerated display cabinet



Jan. 18, 1949. M. Wl SCHWARTZ 2,459,243

REFRIGERATED DISPLAY CABINET Filed May 2l, 37945 2 Sheets-'Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

Maxnhyzyaffz A'ITD RN EYS Patented Jan. 18, 1949 OFFICE REFRIGERATED DISPLAYfcABINET l Max W. Schwartz, Newcastle, Pa. Application May zr, 1945, serial No. 595,037

The invention relates to frozen foodwdisplay and storage cases or cabinets, and more especially to refrigerated display and storage cabinets, of the type known as Self-Serve` cabinets wherein the purchaser may make his selectiony of frozen food from the foods on display in the upper section, and serve himself from the pack-y aged stock contained in the lower section without aid from store personnel, and where two or more persons may withdraw their selected foods simultaneously, due to a plurality of sliding lids.

In cabinets for frozen foods Vwith which I am acquainted, the constructionusually consists of an insulated chest type of container provided with a flat top formed with access openings having insulated hinged or lift-out lids. Asl a consequence, there is no display of the contents of the cabinet unless the lids are removed or left open in which case it is required that the refrigerating mechanism be run more than is usual to compensate for the heat due to removal off the lids, and an undue amount of frosting of the products. Sales of frozen foods are poor with this type of cabinet, since the buyer cannot ordinarily view the contents. Surveys by manufacturers and processers of frozen foods disclose that sales increase considerably when the lids are left open or entirely removed. Cabinets which are provided with a horizontal slidable lid with transparent inserts are subject to disadvantages, since in sliding one lid, it is drawn over theother lid, thus closing one-half of the cabinet, and usually limiting withdrawals to one person at a time. My present inventon, among other things, eliminates the above and other objectionable features of other cabinetswith which I am acquainted, and provides an eilicient display of all frozen foods at eye level which will attract cus.- tomers from a distance. My invention permits display of frozen food without packages or wrappers and in an attractive manner so that prospective purchasers may make a choice without loss of time, and my cabinet alsol allows access by more than one purchaser at a time.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a cabinet of this character, whereinA a display of frozen food products can be had at a. high level, thus making these clearly visible from a distance with respect to the said cabinet,` and in this manner attracting prospective purchasers, the cabinet being of novel construction andunique in its arrangement.

Another object of the invention is the provi.- sion of a cabinet of this character, wherein the display compartment is cooled in a unique man- 5 Claims. (Cl..62.-891.5)

ner 4fromy refrigeration created within the lower section of the cabinet, and' variedv degrees of temperaturedue to stratification of air eliminated, this being effected by air currents directed by an electric fanto provide uniform temperatures and circulation of air, which fan is located hiddenfroxn view, the food products being displayed through a transparent front panel at the upper portion of the said cabinet, the food products identified therein being acquiredy from the lower sectionof the latter, thusVV eliminating any disturbance to this upper section'. Furthermore, optional refrigeration means, `such asthose used inthe lower section maybe used to refrigerate the upper section.

A further object of the invention isthe provision of a cabinet ofthis character, wherein free accessibility is had thereto, thus makingy it possible to serve two or more customers at the same time withconvenience andr dispatch, the display area of the said cabinet being electrically illuminated for a full and'complete display of content therein.

A still further ob-ject ofthe invention is' the provision of Va cabinet of this character, which is simple in construction, thoroughly reliable and efficient in its purposes, strong durable, neat and attractive in appearance, thoroughly sanitary, enabling full display ofthe products of that kind stored within such cabinet, it being a satisfying store fixture, `and inexpensive to manufacture and install.

y With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as willl be hereinafter more v,fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which show the preferred embodiment of the invention, and pointed out in the claims hereunto appended.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is al perspective view of the cabinet constructed' in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken approximately on the line 2--2 of Figure l looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 3 is a sectional viewtaken on the line 3;-3 of Figure 2 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on `the line 4 4 of Figure 2 looking inthe direction of the arrows, vand Figure 5 is a section on the line ST5 of Figure l showing insulation on end walls of cabinet.

Similar vreference characters vindicate corres-7 ponding parts throughout the several views inV l partment separated from the lower section `and having a permanent transparent front panel, refrigerating means positioned in the lower section, and means for circulating cold air from the lower section to the upper section, said cabinet having a passage for the return of the air to the n,

lower section.

2. A cabinet of the character described, comprisinga lowerbody section having horizontally disposed transversely v'slidable lids provided with transparent portions, anupper section lextended above the lower section including a com` confined within the from and back and endl insulated walls i4 and I5 are ref rigerating coils I'I for the refrigeration of the compartment Il,

and the refrigeration may be of anywell-l-known Y kind, involving mechanism, `l'not showt-1 v of. f I

upper section, said cabinet including air flow ducts standard contruction.

Rising vertically from the top of the body sec- 1 tion I0 and slightly overslung to the back I5 thereof is an upperdisplay sectionv I8, which has its-permanent walls` insulated at I9, while the top, whichis open, is tted witha removable cover sectionV ,having interior insulation 2|, and a glass panel front 22, which is made up of a group ofglasspanes 23 arranged in this instance side`y by-side,y and viitted in the, front 22 for sealing it; The `interior of the sectionl I8 forms a display compartment 24, for frozen food products stored therein for visibility through the front 22.

Built in to the sections IB and I8 at companion ends therein is a cold air circulating flue 25, which through registers-25 and, 21, respectively, communicates with the compartments II and 24, so that cold air can pass from the said compartment I I to the compartment 24, asbest seen in Figures 2 and 3 yof the drawings. @The sections I0 and I8 at the other companion ends have builttherein another flue 28, it having communication with the compartments II and I8 through registers 29' and 30, respectively, this flue 2B being a return duct forthe spent cold air delivered to the coma partment 2li.`

lThe forward open top 3Iof the body section` I0 has formedtherewith vparting strips 32 for sliding lids 33, each having glass panel centers, 34, so that the interior of the section lIl is Visible from With,--

out. c u.

vInthev path of movement of the lids 33 and built between the sections I0 and I8 is a runway 35 for such lid`s,'whichl are manually operated, andl are provided with handles 36 for this pur'- pose.

'Located within the` nue 25 rearwardly ofthe register 2l. is an electric fan 31 .for effecting the circulation of cold"'air from the section II) to the section I8, as will be apparent.

Within the compartment 24 and suitable Y ported for the best advantages is an electric i1-` lurninating medium 38, which can be of any ap# proved type, so that the products stored within the said compartment can be fully displayed and made clearly visible through the front 22 of this section I8.

The cabinet A is for the display of food products, both within the lower and upper sections thereof, while the upper section enables ,the dis. play thereby'at approximately eye level from a distance, in view of its elevation. K f v What is claimed is:

1. A cabinet of the character described, coma prising a lower body section, having horizontally disposed andi transverselyslidable 'lids provided with transparent portions, an upper section'gextended above the lower section' including acompartment separated from the lower section andr `:to the;`y rear thereof and having a permanent transparent front, a refrigerating means posi- `tioned inthe 'lower section, and means for circulating `cold l.air from the lower section to the for-"the admission and exhaust of cold air from one section to the other.

i3. Afcabinet'of the character describedcomprisingfa-lower body section having horizontally disposed A`and', ,transversely slidable lids moving rearwardly vto the open position and provided withtransparent portions,an upper section extended above.' the lower section and having a permanent transparent front, refrigerating means positioned in a wall of thelower section, andiv means. for circulating cold air from thelower section to theupper section, and said lcabinetincludingv air-:flow ducts inthe Walls thereof `for. the admission 'and .exhaust of cold air frombne section-to the other. I il. r

A4. A. unitary refrigerator case comprisingia first bottom insulating wall, side insulating walls extending upwardly and about the same and ia top lid structure attached to said side walls'where-` y by' a lower boxflike 1storage compartment is formed, said top lid structure having a` plurality of .longitudinally-spaced transverselyl 'directed openingsv for access to the compartment interior, guidewaysv spaced about `and longitudinally of said openings, vlids slidably mounted in said guideways, 'aisecond insulating bottom wallv secured to said -top lid structure and transversely offset partmentinteriors through said luesand refrig-4 I erating -mean's within the storagev compartment fr cb'oling 'the interiorv 'ofthe same:

r:5."A vunitary refrigerator casecomprising#av u lower storage compartment, reirigerating means for'coolingv the interior of the same, an"ipper`dis play `1 cmpartmenty offset transversely from? and attachedto 'the top Aof said storage compartment," a' 'primary ,'nuevjnieansr extending between said low? er @storage andfupper display compartments'randf inicornrnnnicatonwith the lower portion :may trie' upperv4 portion, respectively, of ,said lcomparti`ne'r1t-,` integere@ Semndervgzue means extendingbe# 'A iigstoagl and.. display cr'nrartrnts communication with 'the upper rand :the

lower portions, respectively| of said compartment` interiors, means cooperating with one of said REFERENCES CITED ue means for circulating the air between the compartment interiors, said lower storage com- The following references are of record in the partment having in its upper portion a plurality le 0f this patenti of longitudinally-spaced transversely directed 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS openings whereby contents may be withdrawn from said lower storage compartment, guide- Number Name Date ways on said lower storage compartment and 2,032,234 Thomas Feb- 25, 1936 extending between said compartments and trans- 2,152,291 Starr Man 23, 1939 versely thereof and lids slidably mounted in said 10 guideways for closing said openings. Y

MAX W. SCHWARTZ. 

